4 Tips For Healthy Masturbation & How To Stop Masturbating?

Masturbation is a completely normal part of our sexual lives and expression. It relieves stress and also helps us understand what we like sexually. It is totally normal to masturbate and touch ourselves to explore our bodies whether you are sexually active with other people or not.  

Do People Masturbate?

Everyone masturbates even if they talk about it or not and it’s common for people of all ages and genders to do it. Children before puberty end up discovering that touching their genitals makes them feel good. This is usually the time where parents need to talk to them so that they do not do this in public and are much more aware of their bodies as they grow up. 

For different people, masturbation makes them feel differently. It helps them relax and they usually want to understand their bodies or they just want to release their pent up sexual tension and frustration or if their partner isn’t around. The simple reason is people masturbate because it makes them feel good. People believe that if you masturbate that’s because you don’t have a partner. The fact is that people masturbate whether they are in a relationship or not. 

Everyone has different intensities and also the amount of times they masturbate. Some people masturbate everyday while others only once a blue moon. All people even masturbate in different ways for different reasons and it is a totally normal decision and there is no set way to go about it.

Can I Masturbate If I am in a Relationship?

If you are in a relationship, it doesn’t mean that you cannot masturbate. If you are masturbating it doesn’t necessarily have to mean that your partner is not satisfying you and your needs. Masturbation teaches you about your body and what exactly just pushes you off the edge. You can tell your partner what you like and make them feel included in this solo act as well. Communicating with your partner about sex makes your relationship stringer. Mutual masturbation is a fantasy for some and is also a great way to avoid getting infections and unwanted pregnancies while having fun at the same time. 

Myths About Masturbation

Much like other things, there are multiple myths about masturbation as well. These are usually meant to scare you into thinking that masturbation is unhealthy, unsafe and just wrong. You must have heard the elders tell you that if you masturbate, you will go to hell. 

In all honesty, it is completely safe and if something that makes you feel so good sends you to hell then hell is worth it. It doesn’t make you blind or stupid or damages your privates or give you pimples or stops your growth and it definitely doesn’t ruin sex for you. In fact masturbation is a great way to increase your stamina and last longer in bed. 

Some Tips For Healthy Masturbation:

1. Washing: Although this should be common sense but still, wash your hands before touching your genitals because those germs can cause infections.

2. Lubricants: If you use a lubricant while masturbating, you will lower the chance of friction and avoid getting any tears or cuts on the skin and even prevent chafing.

3. Sex Toys: Just like how washing your hands is important, cleaning your sex toys is also important. These toys usually make themselves home in dark corners of your cupboards and become susceptible to infection causing bacteria. Cleaning them before and after using them is important to avoid any kinds of infections. 

4. Sharing: Although sharing sex toys may sound super sexy but try avoiding it especially if they are not clean. And if you really want to share then put on a condom on the toy and you’ll be good to go.

Difference between Male & Female Masturbation

The difference between male and female masturbation is the genital and the way a person masturbates other than that there are mainly similarities. If you think that guys are the only ones that masturbate then you are delusional. Masturbation is totally healthy and normal regardless of any gender and if you want to know your body and feel good then there is no greater way.  

Masturbation isn’t unhealthy or bad for your body. You must have heard people say things like masturbation can make your hair grow weirdly or it causes infertility or the best one that we have heard is “masturbation shrinks your genitals”. It can be mentally and physically good for you and it is the safest form of sex out there, since there is no risk or STDs or pregnancies.

Orgasms lead to a release of endorphins which are known as the happy hormone and they block the pain and make the body feel good. There are multiple benefits that come with masturbation, like:

1.  It helps releases sexual tension

2. Reduces stress

3. Induces better sleep

4. Helps improving self esteem

5. Masturbation helps reducing menstrual cramps

6. Tones and strengthens pelvic muscles.

 How Much is Too Much?

There is no set amount of times that you can masturbate. Some people masturbate everyday and that’s fine while some never masturbate which is okay as well.  Until and unless it gets in the way of your life, job or other responsibilities, there is no too much masturbation. 

Read More : What are the side effects of masturbating?

Why could it be beneficial to stop masturbating?

Masturbation can only be harmful if it causes a negative effect on your normal life. If you limit your interactions with people or even miss your work due to this then you may need to consider stopping. Frequent masturbation can cause swelling of the penis and even irritation of the skin. These are the signs that you might need to stop masturbating.

How Should I Stop Masturbating?

If masturbating is becoming a problem for you then there are a few techniques that can help you to stop masturbating.

Avoiding Porn

Pornography triggers the desire to masturbate and if you want to stop masturbating then you should avoid porn movies, images and even websites. If you place a barrier in between then you would be able to break the habit. There are multiple blockers that can be built as a barrier and unblocking these barriers takes time and this can give you the time to reconsider watching this.

Professional Help

If masturbation is affecting your normal life then seeking professional help that specializes in this might be a better idea. Additional issues like obsessive compulsive disorder or some other underlying issue. Talking with a professional will be useful as it will help in removing all negative feelings and even teach you behavior modifications that can help you stop masturbating and get your life on track.

Staying Active

If you are busy and don’t find the time to masturbate then over time you probably wouldn’t even think about it. All you need to do is find other outlets for your pent up energy and the need to masturbate would die down. Many times people consider taking a new hobby or learning some other skill like learning a new musical instrument or trying some other sport.  Developing different goals helps refocus the energy and people end up finding excitement in different things. If you can determine when the urge to masturbate is the highest and then you can plan other activities during the time.

Exercise

Exercise lowers tension and shifts your energy to something more positive. Sports or activities like swimming, running and even weight lifting strengthens the body and releases endorphins that promote happy feelings in the body. If you feel happier or relaxed then the urge to masturbate can be reduced.

Spending Time with Others

Many people masturbate because they feel lonely and are usually bored and have nothing to do to fill their time. If you spend less time alone then you will automatically reduce the opportunities to masturbate. When you spend time with others it will not only keep you occupied but will also redirect your focus. People meet up with friends, join the gym or even pick up a hobby like dance class and even spend more time with their family and these are usually great ways to decrease solitude. 

Support Group

If you join a support group then that can reduce the feelings of shame and guilt which is usually associated with compulsive masturbation. There are a number of reasons why masturbation is compulsive:

1. Any untreated medical health issues

2. Sexual and Relationship Issues

3. Views on Sexuality

4. Conflict and poor sexual communication and connection

5. Religious and cultural conflicts

Having support from a group will be helpful if you want to stop masturbating. This will give you a space where you can express yourself and even understand different coping strategies. If you talk about these issues openly then you automatically reduce the feeling of guilt and shame associated with this. 

Are There Any Side Effects

Although masturbation does not typically have any side effects but constant, compulsive and vigorous masturbating can cause the following side effects.

Edema: If you grip the penis too tight then that causes mild swelling or even edema.

Irritation: Vigorous masturbation can lead to skin irritation and chafing. It is usually mild and goes away after a few days.

Guilt/ Shame: Although there is nothing wrong with masturbating, a lot of people experience negative feelings later on like guilt or shame.

You might have heard of the myth that masturbation causes blindness or even infertility is just not true.